kookogey



(No Model.)

W. P. KOOKOGEY. MERCURY HOLDER FOR BATTERY ZINUS.

No. 398,737. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

mvfgwom W (P wr o m fin ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES:

NiTE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

\VlLLlAM l. KOOKOGEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE KOOKOGEYELECTRIC COMPANY.

MERCURY-HOLDER FOR BATTERY-ZINCS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,737, dated February26, 1889. Application filed August 13, 1888. Serial No. 282,626. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM P. KOOKOGEY, of the city of Brooklyn, countyof Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulAttachment for the Zinc Element in Galvanic Batteries, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to methods for the amalgamation of the zinc elementof galvanic batteries; and it consists, in general, of placing a ring ofrubber in the form of'a cup around the Zinc at or below the surface ofthe liquid, in which cup a quantity of mercury may lie, and thencespread over the zinc as needed.

Prior methods of amalgamationsuch as by pouring the mercury upon thezinc or dipping the zinc in n1ercuryrequire a great amount of labor incleaning the zinc, especially at the first amalgamation, are wasteful ofmercury, and require the removal of the zinc from the battery in case ofreamalgama tion. \Vith my invention the zinc may be placed in thebattery wholly unamalgamated, and it not only amalgama-tes quickly andautomatically, but keeps itself amalgamated without removal from thebattery.

I In the accompanying drawings, in which the same characters indicatethe same parts, Figure l. a perspective view, and Fig. a sectional view,of a round zinc element with the attachment.

A is the zinc, and I the cup of soft rubber encircling it. The loweredge, O, of the cup 1-3 should fit tightly around the zinc A, so thatthe mercury may not fall through mechanically. lYhen the mercury isplaced in the cup 13 and the zinc placed in the battery, the liquid ofthe battery has such an effect upon the surface of the zinc at the pointC that the mercury automatically creeps down by capillary attractionbetween the lower edge, O, and the surface of the zinc, and thencespreads over the entire surface of the ZlllC element. The ring B must beplaced so that its lower edge, reaches at 10: t to the surface of theliquid; but the entire ring B may also be placed below the surface ofthe liquid. In that case the mercury would spread both above and belowthe ring; butit is preferable to place it near the surface. No cleaningof the zinc is necessary before putting it in the battery. it may bekept continually amalgamated by keeping a small quantity of mercury inthe cup 13, the mercury spreading over the surface of the zinc asneeded.

The form of the cup is not essential. It need not extend entirely aroundthe Zinc. It is not necessary that it should be entirely of rubber. Theessential idea is that the connection between the cup and the Zinc shallbe always close enough to keep the mercury from running throughbygravity. An elastic connection allows of this; but if the cup wereentirely of rigid material the acid of the battery would soon render theconnection loose enough to let the mercury through by gravity. Anordinary fiat circular rubber ring of medium hardness may be used forthe cup, for if the opening of the ring is somewhat smaller than thezinc it will assume a cup shape on being pulled over the zinc.

I claim as my invention The combination of the zinc element. of agalvanic battery and a cup partly or wholly of elastic material to holda small quantity of mercury and attached to the zinc at or below thesurface of the bat-tery-liqu id, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 10th day ofAugust, 1888, in the presence of two witnesses.

\VM. P. KOOKOGEY.

\Yitnesses:

SALTER S. CLARK, Guo. C. BRAINERD.

